Today the image of the naked body is used to convey all types of information. Sexuality is the primary marker of attractiveness and the cornerstone marketing slogan: ‘sex sells’. During the sexual revolution of the 1960s and the beginnings of Pop Art, liberating the topic of sexuality from taboo was an act of rebellion and courage. Nowadays, naked bodies and pornography are widely accessible to all, despite formal restrictions.Pazza Pennello depicts the naked female body alongside cartoon characters. These contrasting images complete each other, erasing the differences between the genres of animation and pornography. Sex is no longer a ritual that accompanies intellectual and spiritual exchange. Today, it has been reduced to an act of entertainment and consumption, like watching cartoons. That which was a risky business for Andy Warhol’s generation is now the norm for the contemporary generation of Pop artists.

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‘Despite the fact that Pazza Pennello alludes to familiar themes from global art history, from the Renaissance period to Pop Art, and to animation, her artistic style has already become recognizable. Provocative compilations, references to Soviet cinema and the post-Soviet tabloid press – the artist’s vision retains a child-like innocence in depicting the shifting reality of the modern world, while its characteristic humour involves the viewer in conversation’, comments project curator Myroslava Hartmond.

The exhibition includes oil paintings and graphic works that ironically reinvent the front covers of the notorious SPEED-Info tabloid newspaper.

‘I like turning pornography into erotica, when explicit poses become ironic and attain a sense of incompletion. Let every viewer complete every story for themselves – this will be Reality Sexuality’, says Pazza Pennello. The exhibition also features collectible collages from the ‘Chic-modern’ series.

About artist

Pazza Pennello (b. 1987) is a Ukrainian Pop artist. Born in Odessa, she lives and works in Kyiv. Since 2012 she has exhibited her work in solo and group exhibitions, her artworks are part of private collections in Ukraine, France, Switzerland, and the USA. Pazza Pennello has tackled a range of subjects and experiments widely with different media.

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Natalie Svetlaya

I've lived in Kyiv for more than 5 years. Proud mom of two. I enjoy active leisure in summer, especially cycling and water sports.

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